Botanical atlas

Wild Ginger

Asarum canadense

Long before it carried the name wild ginger, this low woodland plant was dug, dried, and simmered by more than a dozen Native American nations as a warming flavoring and a folk remedy for upset stomachs, coughs, and colds, prized for a peppery aroma that reminded settlers of true ginger from the tropics even though the two plants are not related at all. Early colonists adopted it eagerly, candying the root in sugar syrup as a homestead treat and steeping it as a fireside tea. That old reputation still lingers in its common name and in field guides, but it belongs to history rather than to the modern kitchen or medicine cabinet, since later research uncovered compounds in the plant that make internal use unwise. Today wild ginger is better known and better loved as one of the most graceful native groundcovers for a shaded garden.

In tradition.

Long before it carried the name wild ginger, this low woodland plant was dug, dried, and simmered by more than a dozen Native American nations as a warming flavoring and a folk remedy for upset stomachs, coughs, and colds, prized for a peppery aroma that reminded settlers of true ginger from the tropics even though the two plants are not related at all. Early colonists adopted it eagerly, candying the root in sugar syrup as a homestead treat and steeping it as a fireside tea. That old reputation still lingers in its common name and in field guides, but it belongs to history rather than to the modern kitchen or medicine cabinet, since later research uncovered compounds in the plant that make internal use unwise. Today wild ginger is better known and better loved as one of the most graceful native groundcovers for a shaded garden.

Safety.

Contains aristolochic acid, a confirmed kidney toxin and carcinogen even in small amounts, so it should never be eaten or brewed despite its folk history as a ginger substitute. Enjoy it only as a garden plant, never as true ginger.